Ibn Khaldoun’s “Muqaddima” gains UNESCO recognition
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Researchers from Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey, and Egypt successfully petitioned UNESCO to include Ibn Khaldoun’s “Muqaddima” on the “Memory of the World” register.
The historian Abdelhamid El Arquès announced the decision on September 19 in Tunis, during a ceremony honoring achievements in the humanities and social sciences. Ibn Khaldoun, born in Tunis in 1332, wrote the “Muqaddima” to explore societies, political systems, economies, civilizations, and historical change.
The four countries jointly submitted the nomination because of Ibn Khaldoun’s connections to each one. Algeria played a role in the development of his historical work, while Turkey holds some of the oldest manuscripts of the “Muqaddima”. Egypt also figures prominently in his life, as he lived and worked there. The nomination process, which began in 2024, involved compiling a documentary dossier of manuscripts and historical materials related to Ibn Khaldoun and his writings.
UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” register aims to preserve documentary heritage of universal value and make it accessible for future generations. This recognition positions a key part of Tunisia’s intellectual heritage within an international framework for preserving global documentary memory.
